GIVING birth to your first child is a life-changing experience in any instance, but Chloe Hoy’s intense ordeal left a lasting legacy. At 21, the Walcha-based women was ready to deliver her first baby but complications saw her headed to intensive care at Armidale hospital. After losing blood during labour and contracting septicemia from retained placenta, Ms Hoy needed four blood transfusions. “It was really scary, I was only 21 at the time,” she said. “I lived in Walcha so I was in Armidale hospital and there was no immediate family.” The Hoy family have since welcomed two more daughters to the family without complication, but the young mother has made a pledge to give back where and when she can. After recently welcoming her third child, Heidi, into the world, Ms Hoy said she was hadn’t been able to donate for the last 12 months. She’s also looked into becoming to bone marrow donor. READ MORE: Ms Hoy has become a regular blood donor following her ordeal and recently shared her experience as a recipient to a room full of Tamworth’s biggest “bloody legends.” To mark National Blood Donor Week, the Red Cross celebrated 2400 local contributed more than 50 donations, and showed the significance of their generosity with the firsthand experience of the Walcha mum. The Tamworth blood bank has 100 appointments it needs to fill between now and the end of September, with a particular need for O-negative donors. O-negative donors make up only 9 per cent of the population, yet the blood type is in high demand as it can be used when a patient’s blood type is unknown. The Red Cross is also looking for new plasma donors, the golden coloured component of blood used to make 18 different life-saving medications including for cancer patients, burns victims, new mums, and heart disease patients. The blood service also thanked the community for supporting stocks over the critical winter time. After a record number of appointment cancellations in 2017, up to 1000 per week nationally, the blood service managed to maintain adequate stocks and there was only a minimal impact on donation appointments. National Blood Donor Week runs from September 2-8.

Ms Hoy has become a regular blood donor following her ordeal and recently shared her experience as a recipient to a room full of Tamworth’s biggest “bloody legends.”

To mark National Blood Donor Week, the Red Cross celebrated 2400 local contributed more than 50 donations, and showed the significance of their generosity with the firsthand experience of the Walcha mum.

The Tamworth blood bank has 100 appointments it needs to fill between now and the end of September, with a particular need for O-negative donors.

O-negative donors make up only 9 per cent of the population, yet the blood type is in high demand as it can be used when a patient’s blood type is unknown.

The Red Cross is also looking for new plasma donors, the golden coloured component of blood used to make 18 different life-saving medications including for cancer patients, burns victims, new mums, and heart disease patients.

The blood service also thanked the community for supporting stocks over the critical winter time.

After a record number of appointment cancellations in 2017, up to 1000 per week nationally, the blood service managed to maintain adequate stocks and there was only a minimal impact on donation appointments.